Spring in Savannah

With flowers in bloom and festivals on tap, upcoming season is a perfect time to visit this historic, charming Georgia city

Savannah, Ga.

A number of trolley and other tours are available for seeing and learning about Savannah, Ga.'s Historic District.

Photo provided

By MARCI and MELANIE DEWOLFTravel News Service

Published: Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 4:08 p.m.

Soulful, sultry, sophisticated — Savannah is a city that is eager to share its charms and reveal its secrets. The city's renowned annual music festival allows visitors to experience the spirit and soul of the city.

Facts

If you go

Savannah is 250 miles from Spartanburg.

ACCOMMODATIONSOne of the city's original boutique hotels, the Planters Inn at 29 Abercorn St. on Reynolds Square is within walking distance of the museums, historic homes and restaurants. The 60-room property offers a wine-and-cheese reception with entertainment, a daily breakfast, and has valet parking. Phone: 912-232-5678; 800-554-1187.The Avia Hotel at 14 Barnard St., steps from City market and Bay Street is a fun and funky property with artful decor and a New South edge. Learn about Insider Itineraries from the hotel's concierge tastemakers and city experts. The trendy wine bar offers their signature small plates cuisine, with home baked breads, and Prosecco-based cocktails. Phone: 912-233-2116.Nearly 50 historic inns and bed and breakfast establishments cater to those seeking a smaller, more intimate setting. Visit: www.romanticinnsofsavannah.com (check out their reservation tips).

DINING OUTSoho South Cafe at 12 W. Liberty St. in the historic district is a solid and affordable choice for lunch, featuring Southern specialties and their signature crab cake sandwich. The owners say they strive to make their food an art form. Phone: 912-233-1633.The Gryphon Tea Room: Try to avoid the tourist buses by arriving early for lunch, or sit at the bar at this atmospheric dining spot. The Gryphon is part of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Both the tea room and Soho have a Bohemian flair in design and decor. 337 Bull St. Phone: 912-525-5880. Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House: Everything is Southern at this former boarding house where patrons start lining up at ll a.m. for lunch, featuring classic Southern dishes, such as fried chicken, sweet potato souffle and and okra, served family style at long tables. 107 W. Jones St. Phone: 912-232-5997.

Savannah is unique for its sense of style and refinement. Laid out in a grid pattern and divided into 22 park-like squares, the nostalgic gas lights, cobblestone streets and lush gardens overflowing with dogwoods and brilliant azaleas reveal a world of beauty and hospitality.

Residents here not only embrace their graceful city's history and tradition, they live it every day as a badge of honor. Their museums, historic homes and squares bordered by Live Oak trees draped with Spanish moss are a source of deep pride.

Savannahians are in no hurry. They would rather stroll than walk. Indeed, that's the best way to appreciate the city. For coffee and people-watching, stop at Gallery Espresso, a casual hangout on Chippewa Square. A picnic in Forsyth Park, surrounded by restored mansions and inns, captures the natural beauty of the city.

Indeed, Savannah is an experience that cannot be rushed, only savored. Joseph Marinelli, president of Visit Savannah, says his favorite way to see the city is to tour the Historic District early in the morning and again later in the evening. “The city truly has two different faces, and it's fun to see them both.”

There is a feeling of mystery in Savannah. Behind every door is a story. Delightful courtyards fronted by wrought-iron gates are a reminder of those in Charleston.

The discovery of a spring rose blooming or a hip dining spot in one of the squares is part of the adventure and romance of travel.

A city established in l733 has a history to share:

- The Pirates House restaurant was formerly a tavern frequented by pirates who sailed from the Caribbean in the late 1700s. Events here were said to inspire Robert Lewis Stevenson's novel, “Treasure Island.”

- Savannah is known as America's Most Haunted City. Based on its history of fires, plagues, wars and voodoo, the American Institute of Parapsychology deemed the city the perfect place for supernatural activity. The widespread use of the haint blue color, brought to the city by African slaves, in local homes is thought to ward off evil spirits.

- During the Civil War and the occupation of Savannah, Gen. William T. Sherman ordered a prescription for aspirin at the old pharmacy in the present-day Gryphon Tea Room.

Discoveries

Guided tours are a favorite way to discover Savannah's treasures and time-honored traditions. There are at least 76 active tour companies, including walking, carriage and trolley tours that showcase the city.

Tours focus on topics such as architecture, ghosts, kayaking, films, black and Jewish heritage, pirate history, church and Paula Deen.

Heritage Tours offers a series of insider forays into Savannah. “Midnight — The Book and Movie Tour” explores John Berendt's book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” It includes the haunting, but lovely, Bonaventure Cemetery and an option to see Lady Chablis' show at Club One (Lady Chablis was featured in both the book and movie).

The Telfair Museums combine art, history and architecture. These include two historic homes, The Owens-Thomas House and Telfair Academy, as well as the modern Jepson Center. Here you can tour elegant historic homes, view classic and contemporary art and see arts performances.

Families should consider a visit to the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace in Oglethorpe Square. Low, founder of the Girl Scouts in the U.S., lived in this Victorian mansion, now a National Historic Landmark.

The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum on Martin Luther King Boulevard is the elegant setting for an exhibition of ship models, paintings and maritime antiques. It has the largest garden in the historic district.

Events

The Savannah Music Festival March 20-April 5 honors its Georgia roots while drawing top performers in the genres of rock, jazz, blues, classical, ballet and film.

Savannah's Tour of Homes and Gardens March 21-24 offers a rare opportunity to enter some of the city's finest private homes to get a glimpse of the artwork and furnishings treasured by families for generations.

The tour celebrates the beauty and impact of preservation of Savannah, one of America's most well-preserved cities. In addition to walking tours, this year's festival will include seminars, trolley rides and evening events, with food.

The Historic Savannah Foundation celebrates its second annual Preservation Festival May 2-23. Planned activities are food-and-wine tours in private homes, a garden party art auction and seminars.

St. Patrick's Day in Savannah

Savannah will paint the town green in honor of St. Patrick's Day, a favorite holiday in Georgia's first city since it is named after Ireland's beloved patron saint.

Although the holiday is March 17, the parade is Saturday. More than 300,000 people are expected to visit Savannah to help celebrate the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States and enjoy the citywide festivities. The parade begins at the corner of Abercorn and Gwinnett streets and culminates at the corner of Bull and Harris streets in the historic district.

Expect to see 350 floats and marching units featuring local Irish groups, Irish pipe bands and local and regional celebrities.

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